MADISON — More than 50 people came from around the Diocese of Madison and beyond to learn about and discuss what’s next with efforts to create a culture of life.
The inaugural Pro-Life Summit was held at Holy Name Heights in Madison on April 2.
The day began with Mass celebrated by Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison.
Both during the Mass and during a talk following it, Bishop Hying expressed how grateful he was to everyone who attended and for all that they do.
He hoped efforts on that day and in the future would “help to heal both men and women” affection by abortion and to help “build a culture of life and civilization”.
The bishop had three goals for the day: To get the word out about Walking with Moms in Need efforts, to help all the pro-life groups in the area work together more efficiently, and to explore and discuss what a post-Roe v. Wade time might look like in the U.S.
Walking with Moms in Need
Susanna Herro, along with Julie Bennett and Katherine Higgins from St. Vincent de Paul in Madison spoke about Walking with Moms in Need (WWMIN) — a new effort taking place across the country to discover, share, and create new resources to help women and their families when they are in need during a difficult or unexpected pregnancy.
It was started by the U.S. bishops.
Herro said everyone is “called to have a special concern for those who are poor or vulnerable”.
WWMIN is creating a website where moms in need can find assistance in a variety of areas. A volunteer from each parish in the diocese is asked to attend an online training session and fill out a survey.
The data will be used to create the website.
Future trainings will be held on Friday, April 22, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.; Sunday, April 24, from 4:30 to 6 p.m.; and Monday, April 27, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
To register or for more information, contact: wwminmadison@gmail.com
Working together
Attendees then went into small groups and discussed how groups can work effectively and with each other.
Other pro-life events, activities, and resources, including WWMIN, were discussed and how they can be a part of parishes.
Many of the groups agreed that one way to make all groups more effective is increased communications via traditional and social media and parish and diocesan communications.
A post-Roe country
Barbara Sella from the Wisconsin Catholic Conference spoke on the consequences of a post-Roe v. Wade nation depending upon the effects of the Dobbs case to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court later this year.
She noted that any decisions made by the Supreme Court to end or restrict abortions are “not the end of the battle”.
She shared that lawmakers in the state may try to make new legislation allowing for more access to abortions.
She also noted that it would be up to county district attorneys to enforce Wisconsin’s abortion ban which would be law if Roe were to be overturned.
Additionally, she told Church members to be “prepared for the hostility” in the face of potential protests.